Future tripping

What about next winter? The good news is I am going to paint the deep boxes and move their location. The bad news is none of the hives overwintered. Admittedly, weeping was on the agenda. It's difficult to accept loss, especially when you have put time, money, and energy into sustaining life. This past winter on Cape Cod was the third coldest on record. It snowed a lot and was often in the single digits. Rough on the bees.

One winter, some years ago, I went to London, to take a course with Simon Buxton (the famous British beekeeper/shaman), and learned quite a lot about synchronicity of life.

Bhramari Devi, Indian Goddess of Bees, she lives in your heart chakra

Putting some action to those words! I was reading about the apiary established at UMass/Amherst in the early 20th century. They overwintered bees in a cellar there. This brought me to a doc published in 1918 on Wintering Bees in a Cellar. At the field station where I work, we are lucky enough to have an entomologist and he is a "mole for research." So, he is digging into it.

University of Massachusetts Apiary, around 1918

The farm where I keep my bees does have a root cellar under the calving barn. Keeping the bees there next winter is a consideration...What do you think? Have you tried this method?

All my love,
Kalliope

Honey Dust

Ah, honey dust...the general reaction has been along the lines of, "cool," with a bit of bank stare, or pause at the other end of the phone. Well, folks, I am making it and it will be for sale at the farm stand this summer. I know my Woods Hole girls are all about it!
Last night was the Annual Meeting for Buy Fresh Buy Local Cape Cod. The get-together was at Cape Cod Beer, in Hyannis. The food was made by Pizza Barbone-super yummy! It was great fun talking with land and sea farmers, state senator Dan Wolf (he is a beekeeper!), and generally connecting with the ag crowd on The Cod.
Back to honey dust...I am working on my recipe and it will definitely include gold (organic!) dust. Email me if you want a sample in June or July...
All my love,
Kalliope